


To Love Somebody

by jamieaiken919



Category: Punch-Out!! (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Self-Insert, ridiculous fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 21:13:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6536512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamieaiken919/pseuds/jamieaiken919
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe lost another fight. Fortunately he won't be alone this time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Love Somebody

**Author's Note:**

> I HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS ITS JUST CUTE FLUFF WITH ME AND GLASS JOE
> 
> (also I apologize for any grammatical errors it was super late when I typed this and I'm getting ready for work now as I'm posting it)

Joe threw his bag down next to the door of his apartment, his entire body aching. His fight that night had been against the much younger, much more spry Disco Kid, whom he lost to spectacularly. Yet another loss to his record. At this point he'd lost count of how many he had. The muscles in his chest burned as he sighed, pushing that thought out of his mind. 

He wandered into his bathroom, flicking on the light and finally taking a look in the mirror. Another black eye, but other than that, and some blood drying around his nose and mouth, nothing out of place. The headgear actually did help that. The rest of his body was already starting to bruise though, and he knew he would look worse for wear the next morning. It was nothing he wasn't used to.

A knock at his door startled him; he rarely ever had visitors, especially after his fights. He made his way back to his front door as quickly as he could, careful not to put too much pressure on his leg, which he could feel really starting to hurt. As he opened the door he started to speak, to mention to whoever was there that he wasn't in the best shape to talk, but as he caught sight of who it was his voice caught in his throat. Julia- the girl Don and Tiger has schemed to set him up with- was standing before him, holding a thermos in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other. 

"Bonsoir- uh... good evening, Julia. What brings you?"

"Are you badly hurt?" Her concern was evident in her voice, and without hesitating she walked in and set her things down on the kitchen counter. "I'm so sorry I couldn't make it tonight... I was watching though."

"C'est bon, Julia. I didn't do very well..." Joe's English wasn't the best, but he knew enough to converse with her with minimal hesitation. "I know you had things to do."

"I wish I had been there. I feel awful that I wasn't." She turned to look at him, and he realized that he still had blood on his face. "Are you hurt?"

"Non, c'est bien... I'm okay. Bruised."

"You're bleeding. And your eye is swollen. Here, come here..."

Joe allowed Julia to guide him into his living room, sitting down on the couch and instantly feeling better being off his feet. He still ached, but the pressure off his legs helped. Julia examined his hands, his reddened knuckles looking worse than they actually felt. He couldn't help but notice the contrast between the two of them- his large, calloused hands against her tiny, soft ones. Deeming his hands to be okay, her attention turned to his face, and she visibly winced at the sight of the blood near his mouth. 

"Wait here, I'm going to clean you up."

Before Joe could protest, Julia was up and had disappeared into his kitchen. He could hear her puttering around, the opening and closing of his refrigerator and the beeping of his microwave. As he sat waiting for her to come back, he couldn't help but be thankful that Don and Tiger had come up with their blind date idea. As reluctant and nervous he had been that night, the second he laid eyes on her he had been smitten. That she was here in his apartment and taking care of him wasn't something he was used to. Julia reappeared a moment later, a makeshift ice bag in one hand and a wet cloth in the other. She say back down next to him, gently pressing the ice against his swollen eye. 

"Here, this will help your eye feel better." She smiled as he took the bag, the gesture making his heart skip. "Let me know if this hurts, okay?"

"Oui..." All he could do was sit and watch as she she wiped the blood away from his mouth. She took care not to press too hard, and he could feel her fingers in the hair at the back of his neck as she held his head in place. "Vous êtes merveilleux..."

"Hmm?"

Before he could say anything the microwave beeped in the kitchen. Julia leapt off the couch, taking the ice bag from him as she scurried back into the kitchen. Joe could feel his face burning; he was embarrassed that he'd said his thoughts out loud, but thankful he's said it in French. He felt conflicted- he knew how he was feeling and what he wanted to say to her, but he had no idea how she would react. He was pulled out of his thoughts again by Julia coming back into the room, pulling another balancing act with a bowl and a mug. 

"I brought food! Café, et soupe de pomme de terre." She set the plate down in front of him on the table, handing him the mug and taking her place back on the couch next to him. "Did I get it right?"

"Coffee and potato soup?" She nodded, and he couldn't help but smile as her face lit up. "You got it right!"

"Yes! I'm learning! Oh here, eat your soup before it gets cold."

They sat in relative silence while Joe ate, the only sound the occasional tapping of Julia's fingernails on her phone screen. He glanced over to see if he could make out what she was saying, and could just barely see the words 'staying at Joe's tonight' sent to whoever it was she was messaging. He could feel the shiver up his spine at the thought of her staying the night, but kept to himself as he quietly finished off the rest of his soup.

"All done?" He nodded, and she smiled gently to him, taking the bowl from his hands before he could get up himself. "Drink your coffee, I'll be right back."

There were so many things running through Joe's head that he could barely think straight. He wondered if it was still too soon to tell her what he wanted to say. But he thought to himself, if she didn't truly care for him, she wouldn't have come over to check on him. She wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to be with him after his loss. 

"I'm back!" Julia bounded back into the room, and he laughed as she jumped back into the couch again. She motioned for him to look at her, and she gently turned his head, looking closely at the bruises near his eye. "Your eye doesn't look as swollen as it was. You'll be bruised for a while, but you'll be alright. Still the same handsome guy!"

"Heh, merci... you are far too good to me."

"I'm as good to you as you deserve."

The two looked at each other for a moment, Julia's hand still on the side of Joe's face. He could feel his face on fire, and could see that her face was tinged pink as well. Before he could do anything to react, her arms were around his neck and her lips were pressed against his. He froze for a second, before letting everything he'd been debating on his mind come out in his kiss. His bandaged hand ran through her hair, and he held her as close as he could without pressing against any of his bruises. They held the kiss for a long moment before Joe finally had to pull away, the sensation overwhelming him. He rested his forehead against hers, steadying his breathing and smiling as she giggled under her breath.

"Joe?"

"Hmm?"

"Est-ce que tu m'aimes?"

"Oui."

"Je t'aime aussi."


End file.
